OK this is one for discussion.
(I’ll post that in the German Group too, tomorrow…)
What Microphones do you use in your Studio?
We currently use Stage-Singer Dynamic microphones that have the benefit of eliminating all noise around as the speaker has to get close to the microphone to have a sufficient signal to open the denoiser gate.
This has the awfull disadvantage that the voice is a bit “dump” if not set correctly at the mixer…
We will replace the Mike section (mixer and mikes) these days and the selection will be something like the Rode Procaster, Sure SM7B or if unevitable the heavy expensive Electrovoice RE20
I personally want to avoid the RE20 , no doubt this would be best selection, but we only have 7-8 Liveshows a week, the rest is managed via voicetracking or music shows.
No, really if I have to get to the RE20 I can afford the Neumann 705 also…
Any suggestions? No C-Mikes please! They are far too sensitive for our environment. Roadnoise, etc…
In a radio studio the speakers are used to be muted while microphones are open.
The EV RE20 is usable as drum mic for kick and tom or for winds like sax and trumpet live on stage, but not for vocal either live or in FM radio, unless maybe for AM.
As long the speakers are still on while mics are open and there is roadnoise, etc., you might better use the “dump” voice of the mics you already got.
After the speakers finally mute on mic open and the roadnoise is eliminated, you should keep an ear to the acoustics of the room with a C-Mike. When the room sounds good enough with this, it’s time to think about what microphones to use best.
I don’t agree with you. The RE20 might be contested as vocal mike, but there are FM Radiostations that use the RE20 with much success and the quality of their sound is just great!
And of course we mute the speakers via a denoiser gate.
I’m just not satisfied with the hollow sound and the “pops” of our current setup. The price of the RE20 does not make me happy either.
I’m really interessted on what other “non-professional” radiostations (with low budget) are using.
We have been using several Rode NT-1 for years, in both the old -1 and the new -1A version, and we’re very satisfied. And they are also pretty affordable, around 160-170 Euros. Send the signal through a nice compressor (e.g. a dbx 166XL), and you get a very good sound. Although, being condensator microphones, they’re of course prone to noise.
By the way, may I assume that this is the thread which was supposed to be posted in the English forum? If so, I can move it there if you like.
EDIT: Now that you posted to the English forum in German, I was quite sure that the threads needed to be moved
Let me just make clear that the NT-1A is in fact a condensator microphone. (I did not get your comment about “C-Mikes” until I read the German translation of your post.)
I don’t know that the dynamic Rode microphones are like.
I know the NT-1A is a C-Mike. I just did not work before with products from down under.
So it looks like Rode produces good mikes. The Procaster is a dynamic one and really looks promising (and affordable) to me.
I agree with Torben that the Rode NT-1A condenser* mikes are excellent. Yes, they are slightly more fragile than a dynamic microphone, but we haven’t managed to break any in our community radio station here in Scotland.
Rode have been producing high-quality microphones for at least 15 years. I think I’m correct in saying that their original product was a ‘poor man’s Neumann U-87’ which “only” cost about €2000 at the time (still MUCH less expensive than Neumann!). I used one of those at a recording session back in the early 1990s and I remember thinking at the time that it sounded excellent.
While I agree with Carsten’s description of the E-V RE-20S for stage and recording use, there is no denying that it is probably used more than any other microphone as the presenters’ mikes in radio studios in America (especially ‘talk radio’ studios). The RE-20 does have a ‘warm’ sound with not too much high-end, but on the other hand, it’s almost impossible to damage or break it, even if dropped!
Another possibility if you want a dynamic microphone is the good old AKG D202, which I think is still used as the main microphone in the UK Parliament. The D202 is another mike which is very difficult to damage.
(* ‘condensator’ is not an English word—not even in American English! ;))
Thanks Cad for your input.
I’ll have a look at the AKG as well.
I really prefer using a dynamic one due to the fact that we have a lot of “noise” around.
Unfortunately we are not a professional Radiostation that have state of the art studios
regards:
-Serge-
(Condenser, capacitor or electrostatic microphone is the right terminology) ;D
And nor is Leith FM! We’re a community station in Leith, which is the port associated with (now part of) Edinburgh (check us out at http://wwwleithfm.com).
Our studio is a small attic room above the Dockers’ Club which is soundproofed with thick curtains including on the ceiling, but it is still a noisy room if (when!) it gets so hot that we need to open the (smalll) window. The Rodes work well for us.
Check our live stream from 0700–2200 BST—at other hours, we are on automated playout, which includes some repeat broadcasts of earlier live shows in among the music segues.
Old topic, but just changed my home studio mic. MXL 990Condensor (cheapie) for a Rode Procaster. A dynamic but cuts out so much of the background noise of PC fans, and the train line right outside!
Now able to remote voice track to the edit studio/s edit in a single take.
We’re a community station in Leith, which is the port associated with (now part of) Edinburgh (check us out at 